Law and Justice United States Supreme Court Panel

The Fourth Amendment was established to protect the people from unreasonable search and seizures. Advancements in technology, however, have blurred the definition of a search. The employment of technology by the government is forcing a review and redefinition of the borders and limits of an individual’s right to privacy. Through examination of the Supreme Court’s 2012 decision in United States v. Jones, I intend to show how technology has made more-complex the once-understood role of government in upholding privacy rights. US v. Jones questioned the actions of federal agents who, without a warrant, placed a GPS tracking unit on Jones’ jeep as part of a drug trafficking investigation. After several appeals, the Supreme Court unanimously decided that the use of a GPS device without a warrant constitutes a search, thus; the agents’ actions violated the Fourth Amendment. This presentation will also address how the Jones decision will affect the criminal justice system and how police can employ advancements in technology to reduce manpower and operating costs. Furthermore, I will explore how the Jones case is different from other vehicle cases and the precedent it sets